Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Friends You Keep...



They say you can tell a lot about a person by the friends they keep.  And I got to thinking, what do my face books friends say about me?  I keep my list of friends short, 77 in all at the moment.  That’s short compared to most people.  This morning I was scanning my list of names to see who was on it and what I could learn about myself.

I have a handful of family members on the list. They say you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family. I guess I am pretty lucky because if they weren’t my family, I would have picked them for friends.  My family is the kind that would drop anything to help you in time of need but, at the same time, we don’t call each other or burden each other with our problems. We take care of our own problems and yet, at the same time, we know we can count on each other to be there to support and help out if the need became great enough.

Now for my friends on facebook.  I have a couple of very nice men on my list of friends.  Gentlemen.  They are very kind, good natured, compassionate people and I enjoy reading their comments, which are very few and far between compared to my female friends.

I have a couple of young women on my list that I consider to be my online “e-daughters.” They both take college classes and are working hard to make it in today’s world.  I am very proud of them. They are mature for their age and have gone through a few things in life that has forced them to grow up a little faster than some. Sometimes they will come to me for a little advice, which I am only too happy to give. But, most of the time they are busy living life to the fullest.  I am so proud of both of them.

The rest of my list is made up of women, some older than me, some younger. Almost all of them are wives and/or mothers, some are single. For the most part, while they are all very different, they do share similar traits that I find inspiring. So many of them have gone through or are going through some difficult adversities.  Life wasn’t too kind to them in many ways.  I often think to myself, how do they do it? How do they go on day after day? I don’t have an answer. They say you do what you have to do, but where do they find the strength?  

The women on my friend list on facebook share strength. They are strong women, who may have a weak moment now and then, but shake it off and go on. They may vent about their problems, release some steam, but then they forge ahead and do what needs to be done.  My women friends have a strong faith in a higher being. They are spiritual. They get their support and hope from God. The bad things that happen to them don’t shatter their beliefs. Instead, when things get worse, they prayer for God’s help and guidance to get them through.  My friends are intelligent women.  They offer different perspectives to situations that I sometimes don’t see myself.  They speak from their own life experiences. I can and have learned a lot from them. My friends are compassionate and loving people. If they see someone struggling or needing help, they jump right in to offer it. They are sensitive, caring women who would nurture the world if it were possible. They are the kind of people, who if they won a hundred million dollars, would be thinking about how much good they could do for others with the money and not about what kind of house or car they would buy. They are down to earth and grounded. They appreciate other people, have their priorities straight, and are honest and loyal.

What amazes me most is their positive attitude.  Despite their own personal daily struggles, they persevere.  They don’t become bitter, full of self pity, shut down and withdraw. They are fighters. They prepare for battle and try to find solutions to anything life throws their way.  And, even in the midst of some of their darkest hours, I still see them reaching out to others who are going through a crisis of their own.

If the friends I keep says something about me, I know it’s all good.  They say “likes attract” and I hope that’s the case for me.  If these are the kind of people I attract then I am blessed. I appreciate each and every one of them. They have enriched my life in so many ways that words cannot even begin to describe it.

Merry Christmas to my Facebook friends! 

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